1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a steering device for toy and a running toy. In particular, the present invention relates to a steering device for toy, which steers a toy by using an electromagnetic force, and a running toy comprising the steering device, such as a vehicle toy or the like.
2. Description of Related Art
According to an earlier development, a vehicle toy using a mechanism for swinging a front wheel shaft by an electromagnetic force, has been known (Japanese Patent Application Publication No. Tokukai-Hei 11-57235). A steering device for the vehicle toy is one for steering by using a swinging motor. The swinging motor comprises a rotor provided swingably on the front wheel shaft which is provided swingably, by forming unitedly with the front wheel shaft, and a coil for swinging the rotor. The steering device for toy is constructed so that the direction of the front wheel shaft is changed by controlling the current to be carried to the coil in three states which are xe2x80x9cOFFxe2x80x9d, a forward direction and a reverse direction, in order to swing the swinging motor in a desired direction.
In the concrete, the cylindrical rotor is attached to the front wheel shaft. An upper end of the rotor is supported by an upper chassis. The rotor is inserted rotatably along an inner peripheral portion of a lower chassis around a rotor shaft provided vertically. One position of a peripheral portion of the rotor, which is normal to the front wheel shaft, is the N pole. The other position opposite to the one position is the S pole. On the other hand, a coil for forming the swinging motor is wound around an outer peripheral portion of a cylinder formed by the lower chassis and the upper chassis. The direction of the front wheel shaft is changed by controlling the current to be carried to the coil. A yoke is provided so as to cover an upper surface and both side surfaces, of the middle portion of the coil. When the current is not carried to the coil, the front wheel shaft keeps in a neutral position (position for directing the wheels to a straight direction) by an attractive force generated between the rotor and the yoke.
However, in the above steering device, because the front wheels are provided on both side portions of one front wheel shaft so as to swing the one front wheel shaft, the vehicle toy runs along a curved line unstably by swinging the whole front wheel shaft and the front wheels largely on a winding road or the like, for example, a road in which aright (left) curve suddenly turns to a left (right) curve. In order to solve the above problem, the front wheel shafts may be provided on right and left sides independently of each other to swing each front wheel shaft in right and left directions around a shaft provided near each front wheel. In case that the steering device is applied to this, two parts having a rotor, a coil and a yoke each must be provided on right and left sides. A coil must be wound around the rotor. Further, a coil must be wound in a slightly wider range than a projected width of the rotor so as to sufficiently cause an electromagnetic force for the rotor. As a result, there is a problem that the structure of the steering device is complicated.
In order to solve the above-described problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a steering device for toy and a vehicle toy, which have simple structures and which provide a stable running along a curved line.
That is, in accordance with the first aspect of the present invention, a steering device for a toy, comprises: right and left turning members for turning right and left steering wheels in clockwise and counterclockwise directions around each predetermined shaft; and a connecting member for connecting the right and left turning members with each other and for forming a turning pair with each turning member; wherein the right and left turning members are turned around each predetermined shaft by moving the connecting member in right and left directions so as to change each direction of the steering wheels; one of a coil and a magnetic body is provided on the connecting member, the other of the coil and the magnetic body is fixed to a fixing portion, and the coil and the magnetic body come close to and go away from each other by moving the connecting member; and the connecting member takes at least two steering positions by controlling a current to be carried to the coil with a coil current carrying unit. In this specification, the term xe2x80x9cmagnetic bodyxe2x80x9d includes a permanent magnet and material which is magnetized in a magnetic field, that is, which has magnetism.
The arrangement of xe2x80x9ccoilxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cmagnetic bodyxe2x80x9d will be explained in this case. The xe2x80x9cpermanent magnet xe2x80x9d may be provided on the connecting member, and the xe2x80x9ccoilxe2x80x9d may be provided on the fixing portion which is provided out of the connecting member. To the contrary, the xe2x80x9ccoilxe2x80x9d may be provided on the connecting member, and the xe2x80x9cpermanent magnetxe2x80x9d may be provided on the fixing portion which is provided out of the connecting member. The term xe2x80x9ccontrolling a currentxe2x80x9d includes a control that a current is cut off, the direction of the current is changed, and the like.
According to the steering device for toy, because the connecting member takes at least two steering positions by controlling the current to be carried to the coil with a coil current carrying unit, the right and left steering wheels can be directed to at least two directions.
In the above-described steering device for toy, preferably, the permanent magnet is provided so as to direct two poles of the permanent magnet to right and left directions, and the coil is provided so as to face an edge portion of the coil to one of the poles.
In this case, in order to xe2x80x9cdirect two poles of the permanent magnet to right and left directionsxe2x80x9d, the permanent magnet is disposed so as to arrange the poles (N pole and S pole) of one permanent magnet in each of right and left positions. When two permanent magnets are used, one pole (N pole or S pole) of one permanent magnet is arranged on a left side and the other pole (S pole or N pole) of the other permanent magnet is arranged on a right side. Alternatively, the same poles (N pole or S pole) of two permanent magnets are arranged on right and left sides.
In this case, the controlling of the current to be carried to the coil, may be carried out so as to actuate the right and left coils simultaneously to move the connecting member by both an attractive force and a repulsive force which are generated between the right and left coils and the permanent magnet. Further, the controlling may be carried out so as to actuate one of the right and left coils to move the connecting member by an attractive force or a repulsive force which is generated between the actuated one of the right and left coils and the permanent magnet.
According to the steering device for toy, because the connecting member is moved to one magnetic body by controlling the current to be carried to the coil, the steering can be carried out.
The connecting member may comprise a spring for keeping the connecting member in a neutral position in which the connecting member is not biased toward a right direction nor a left direction when the current is not carried to the coil; and the connecting member may take three steering positions.
According to the steering device for toy, which has such a structure, when the current is not carried to the coil, the connecting member takes the neutral position by the spring. When the current is carried to the coil, the connecting member is moved in a direction corresponding to a direction of the current.
In accordance with the second aspect of the present invention, a steering device for a toy, comprises: right and left turning members for turning right and left steering wheels in clockwise and counterclockwise directions around each predetermined vertical shaft; a connecting member for connecting the right and left turning members with each other and for forming a turning pair with each turning member; an electromagnetic force applying member for applying an electromagnetic force for moving the connecting member in right and left directions; and a current carrying control unit for controlling an operation of the electromagnetic force applying member.
In accordance with the third aspect of the present invention, a running toy comprises: a steering device for a toy, comprising: right and left turning members for turning right and left steering wheels in clockwise and counterclockwise directions around each predetermined shaft; and a connecting member for connecting the right and left turning members with each other and for forming a turning pair with each turning member; wherein the right and left turning members are turned around each predetermined shaft by moving the connecting member in right and left directions so as to change each direction of the steering wheels; one of a coil and a magnetic body is provided on the connecting member, the other of the coil and the magnetic body is fixed to a fixing portion, and the coil and the magnetic body come close to and go away from each other by moving the connecting member; and the connecting member takes at least two steering positions by controlling a current to be carried to the coil with a coil current carrying control unit.
Preferably, the running toy further comprises a suspension for moving the right and left turning members in upper and lower directions in a predetermined range; the suspension comprising a biasing member which is supported in a middle of a width direction of the running toy so that right and left edge portions of the biasing member are elastically deformable in upper and lower directions and which extends on the right and left turning members; wherein the turning members are pressed with the right and left edge portions by a biasing force which is caused by elastically deforming the biasing member, so that the right and left steering wheels are in contact with a ground.
The running toy may further comprise: a suspension for the running toy comprising two wheel shafts for attaching right and left wheels; the suspension comprising a biasing member which is elastically deformable in upper and lower directions and is in contact with the wheel shafts in a middle of a width direction of the running toy; wherein the wheel shafts are movable in the upper and lower directions in a predetermined range; the wheel shafts are constructed so as to perform a seesaw motion by taking a contact point with the biasing member as a fulcrum; and the turning members are pressed at the contact point by a biasing force which is caused by elastically deforming the biasing member, so that the right and left steering wheels are in contact with a ground.
The running toy may further comprise: a suspension for the running toy comprising two wheel shafts for attaching right and left wheels; the suspension comprising a biasing member which extends on the wheel shafts and is supported in a middle of a width direction of the running toy so that right and left edge portions of the biasing member are elastically deformable in upper and lower directions; wherein the wheel shafts are movable in the upper and lower directions in a predetermined range; and the wheel shafts are pressed with the right and left edge portions by a biasing force of the biasing member so that the right and left steering wheels are in contact with a ground.
In accordance with the fourth aspect of the present invention, a running toy comprises:
a steering device comprising: right and left turning members for turning right and left steering wheels in clockwise and counterclockwise directions around each predetermined vertical shaft; a connecting member for connecting the right and left turning members with each other and for forming a turning pair with each turning member; an electromagnetic force applying member for applying an electromagnetic force for moving the connecting member in right and left directions; and a current carrying control unit for controlling a current to be carried to the electromagnetic force applying member, so that the connecting member takes at least two steering positions; and
a suspension device for pressing the right and left turning members which are movable in upper and lower directions in a predetermined range, so that the right and left steering wheels are in contact with a ground.